Door retainer or holder



June 14, 1938. w. J. BUTTS DOOR RETAINER OR HOLDER Filed July '7, 1936 Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED `STATES PATE-NT GFFICE DOO-R RETAINER OR HOLDER,

tion of Delaware Application July. 7, 1936, Serial No. 89,443

7 Claims.

This invention relates to door retainers or holders.

Generally the objects of the invention are to Iprovide an efiicient, strong, durable and inexpensive door retainer or holder of light weight and simple and compact construction, which may be readily applied to operative position and which will function without injury to the door and floor to which it is applied.

Other and more specific objects and advantages realized by the invention will be apparent and readily understood from` the detailed description which follows and from the accompanying .drawing. InV said drawing, illustrating what is at present regarded as the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure lis a perspective view showing the door retainer in its normal unsprung condition;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the left hand end of the retainer shown in Fig. 1;

v Figure 3 is a vertical section on line `3--3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the retainer in a sprung or bowed condition prepara-l tory to application to operative position beneath a door and between the lower edge of the same and the floor;

Figure 5 is a vertical section longitudinally of the retainer and transversely` of a portion of the lower edge of a door to which it is applied and showing the retainer in its operative position in relation to the door;

Figure 6 is a view in elevation showing the door of Fig. 5 moved to the right along the smooth top of the holder from the position in which said door is shown in Fig. 5, and also showing the corresponding and resulting compression of the rubber foot member at the righthand end of the holder and also illustrating the wedging action ofthe holder under such conditions; and

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional View through the foot at one end of a modied construction.

Referring to Figs. 1-6, the spring member I0 of the holder is a flat strip of spring sheet metal having its top surface well polished. Preferably it is clock spring steel of 80-90` carbon and of approximate dimensions of two inches in width, five inches in length and of gauge thickness of .010-

.0112. This kind of metal and these approximate dimensions have been practically demonstrated to give good results.

On the underside of each end of the spring member I0, there is a leg or dependent member l2. As shown, each member l2 is formed from a single piece of sheet metal, bent to suitableshape tolconstitute a transverse dove-tail recess. adapted to recevea foot-member presently described. The sheet metal of each member I2 is also doubled upon itself to form a projecting flange 5 i3 to serve as a grip for bending the door holder, as presently explained. The flange I3 of one of the leg members has a perforation I I adapted to be engaged over a hook or other suitable projection in suspending the door holder, when not 10 in operation, in convenient location in respect vto the door with which it is to be used. Rivets IfI, at opposite ends of spring member IIJ, pass through openings in the leg members I2, I2, to secure the same to the spring member I0. Solv15 dering or welding, or any other suitable securing means'may be used insteadof the rivets.

The two feet or floor-engaging members are fastened to the two leg members I2, I2, respectively, each foot member comprising lower and -20 upper portions l5 and Iirespectively, the upper portion having inclined side walls and fitting closely within the dove-tailed recess of its corresponding leg member l2. The bottom or floorengaging surface of the lower portion Iof each.y 25 footy member is preferably inclined or convexly curved in adirection longitudinally of the spring member Ill and is formed with corrugations eX- tending transversely of the member Ill, said corrugations being constituted of ribs I1 and inter- 30 vening grooves I8, which grooves, as shown in Fig. l for example, are relatively deep. The foot members I2, I2 are preferably of rubber, but may be of any suitable rubber-like material and are preferably of the approximate dimensions 35 of one and one-quarter inches vertically (Fig. 2) and one and one-quarter inches horizontally (Fig. 2) and of an over-all length transversely to spring member Ill of two inches.

To operate the door retainer, flanges I3, I3 are 40 gripped between the thumb and fingers of one hand (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4) and is sprung or bent downwardly. The holder is then inserted beneath a door at the outer end thereof and released, as shown in Fig. 5. 45

The spring action of member I0 presses the feet l2 against the iioor and will hold the door stationary; but where the door is pushed strongly (as by a heavy wind, or by the pull of a springclosing device) the door will slide along the bent 50 smooth surface of member I0 to a position near or partly over one of the feet, depending upon the amount of force exerted (see Fig. 6). This movement produces a wedging action that forces the foot more firmly against the floor, increases 55 the frictional engagement therewith, and prevents the door from moving further or sliding the retainer along the floor.

When the retainer is applied to a door swung close to the floor, it is necessary that the height of the feet be reduced so that member I IJ will not assume too great a curvature to fit between door and floor or prevent the wedging action described above. This is accomplished by giving the feet dimensions to correspond with the amount of bend given member I under any given door. The more member l0 is bent the more the feet will splay outwardly in engaging the floor. Under higher swung doors the reverse occurs, and the feet engage the floor near their outer ends at their taller portions.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the invention. Each foot comprises a core 2 I, preferably of wood, attached at the underside of spring member 2U (corresponding to spring member IU of Figs. 1-6) by rivets 22. An elastic cap 23 is designed to fit over core 2l in the manner shown, and is eX- tended to provide a finger grip. The bottom hoor-engaging surface of the cap 23 is inclined with relation to the member 2i), or said surface is convex and is corrugated, the same as described above in relation to the floor-engaging surfaces of the feet members shown in Figs. 1 6.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a door-holder, the combination of a spring member; two spaced metallic leg-members depending from said spring member; a foot member carried by each leg member and metallic finger-grip projections at opposite ends of the holder respectively and formed integrally with said leg member.

2. In a door holder, the combination of a spring member; and two spaced foot members depending from said spring member, each foot member having a floor-engaging surface which is approximately convex, in a direction longitudinal of the spring, and which surface is adapted under pressure to be flattened in its engagement with a floor or the like under the door and frictionally grip the same.

3. In a door holder, the combination of a spring member; and two spaced foot members depending from said spring member, each foot member having a floor-engaging surface which is approximately convex, in a direction longitudinal of the spring, and which surface is on a portion of the foot member of elastic material adapted, under pressure, frictionally to grip a floor or the like under the door, and said spring on top being free of projection or obstruction which would prevent the door from sliding up on either end of the spring to a position partly above the foot at said end.

4. In a door holder, the combination of a spring member; and two spaced foot members depending from said spring member, each foot member having a floor-engaging surface which is approximately convex, in a direction longitudinal of the spring, and which surface is on a portion of the foot member which is of elastic material adapted, under pressure, frictionally to grip a floor or the like under the door, and said foot also having another portion of different material.

5. In a door holder, the combination of a spring member; and two spaced foot members, each foot member having an elastic floorengaging portion adapted under pressure frictionally to grip a floor or the like under the door, and said spring on top being free of projection or obstruction which would prevent the door from sliding up on either end of the spring to a position partly above the foot at said end.

6. In a door holder', the combination of a spring member and two spaced foot members serving as a support for said spring member, each foot member comprising a core member attached to the spring member, and a member connected with the core member and having a floor-engaging surface which is approximately convex in a direction longitudinal of the spring, and which surface is adapted under pressure to be flattened in its engagement with a floor or the like under a door and frictionally grip the same.

7. In a door holder, the combination of a spring member and two spaced foot members depending from said spring member, each foot member comprising a mass of resilient friction material adapted under pressure on the spring member to be distorted to conform over a substantial area to the surface of a floor against which the said members may be pressed.

WILLIAM J ENNINGS BUTTS. 

